GB2230707A - Exercise device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is an exercise device comprising a turntable 12 and a base 10. The user stands at the turntable and by twisting his body turns the turntable on the base about pivot axis. The resistance to turning between the turntable and base is provided by strips of friction bearing material. <IMAGE>

Description

Exercise Device This invention relates to an exercise device, and in particular comprises a device on which a user stands, and by the use of which the user can twist the upper part of his body relative to the lower part in a back and forth twisting action. Such exercise, as is well known, is beneficial to the health and fitness of a user, if in fact the user exercises in this fashion on a regular basis.

An exercise device for enabling the user to effect such twisting motions is known, and comprises a framework or stand which supports at a lower region thereof a turntable on which the user stands, and hand grips which the user holds in order to restrain the upper portion of his body whilst the lower portion is twisted back and forth by the user oscillating the turntable. Such apparatus serves the purpose, but it suffers from several disadvantages including that it is large, making it not particularly suitable for domestic use, and it is expensive, not the least reason for which being that a frictionless roller bearing is used for supporting the turntable to ensure that the turntable will turn as freely as possible.The present invention seeks to provide a turntable whereby the above form of exercise may be executed, but which has a number of aspects providing a number of advantages not possessed by the known apparatus described above.

According to the present invention, in a first aspect an exercise device comprises a turntable a base on which the turntable is rotatably mounted, and further bearing means between the turntable and base.

Such a device, when provided without any framework providing waist-high hand grips, it is particularly useful for exercising in the home. It should also be mentioned that it is believed that the use of such a device in requiring the user to execute the twisitng movements without having any other form of support, will provide better exercise for a larger range of the user's muscles.

The turntable may comprise simply a circular board and the support being a board of square or other suitable shape, and between which is a material such as a webbing of nylon or other plastics material providing a bearing. The webbing may be securely connected to the undersurface of the turntable or the upper surface of the base, but in either case the surface against which the webbing bears and shades preferably is plastic in nature so as to provide a certain degree of self lubrication between the rubbing surfaces so that the device will have a long life.

It is in fact of particular advantage to provide a friction bearing between the turntable and support insofar as the friction bearing limits the speed at which the turntable can be rotated relative to the support. It also simplifies construction if a roller bearing were used in a device according to the invention, especially when the user does not have the benefit of a hand grip at waist height, then there is a possibility that use of the device could be dangerous.

The present invention can however be used in a conventional type twisting machine having waist high hand grips.

In yet a further preferred feature of the invention, the underside of the base preferably has a means for engaging the ground or floor surface on which the device is placed for use, in order to prevent or restrain slippage of the device relative to such floor surface. Such a means may comprise strips of abrasive material, typically sandpaper or emery cloth.

The parts of the device when in the form of a circular turntable and a board forming the base may be held together by means of a screw which also forms the pivot axis for the turntable, whereby an extremely simple construction results.

The screw may be provided with a plastic protective cap for safety purposes.

The said turntable may be provided with friction material pads defining areas on which the feet are placed.

The said turntable board and support board may be of chipboard with plastic PVC or other plastic coating thereon.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a perspective elevation of the device according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a side view showing the device when in use; Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the components of the device; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the underside of the support board; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a device according to another embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings, the device according to the invention comprises simply a square base board 10 and a circular turntable board 12. The two boards are of the same material and preferably are of chipboard coated with PVC or other suitable plastic which in the present example is white in colour.

Centrally the turntable has a bore 14 in which is received a screw 16, the screw penetrating the turntable and engaging the base board 10 to keep the two boards together but so as to allow the turntable 12 to rotate about its centre. The screw head 18 is covered by means of a plastic cap 20 of the type shown in Fig. 3, which comprises a cup portion 22 for receiving the screw head 18, and a snap closable lid 24 which can snap into the cup portion 22 in order to conceal the top face of the screw when the device is assembled as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In order to use the device, as shown in Fig. 2, the user simply places the device on the floor with the support board to the underside, and he stands on the turntable on the two friction material foot pads 26 (which may be of rubber or the like, and which have longitudinal ribs) and then he performs a relative twisting movement twisting his upper body back and forth relative to and antiphase to the lower part of his body, the turning of the turntable permitting this action to take place.

The device of Figs. 1 to 4 as shown is essentially a flat structure which can be transported and stored readily at home or in an office.

For the bearing between the turntable and the support board, use is made of friction material in the form of the strips of webbing 28 to the underside of the turntable. Such webbing is preferably of nylon so that it is hard-wearing, and also so that it will have a self lubricating effect in bearing upon the plastic upper surface of the support board, especially if the plastic surface is of pvc.

In order to enhance the grip of the device to the surface on which it rests whilst in use, the underside of the board is provided with friction material in the form of a pair of strips of abrasive material 30 such as sandpaper or emery cloth.

This feature of utilising a friction bearing which limits the speed at which the turntable can be oscillated relative to the support board, and can also be used in the conventional twisting machine.

The device of Figs. 1 to 4 possesses a number of advantages which have been foreshadowed herein and which include that:1) the device is portable and is small enough to make it suitable for domestic and office use; 2) it is of simple and inexpensive construction; 3) because it iliminates the hand support for the user, its muscular toning and general fitness improving effect is increased.

By virtue of the use of the friction bearing, the speed at which the user can oscillate the turntable is limited.

Fig. 5 shows how the invention may be utilised in an exercise machine which is suitable for use by skiers. The machine shown in Fig. 5 comprises a base board 50 supported by bars 52 and 54 on a floor surface. The board 50 is elongated and at one end there is an upright support bar 56 which carries handle grips 58 approximately at waist height of the user. An assembly 60 is adapted to be swivelled back and forth as indicated by arrow 62 about an axis defined by pivot 64 on the board 50, in a manner similar to the capability of the turntable board 12 in the Fig. 1 embodiment turning on the base board 10 of that embodiment.

The assembly 60 comprises a cross bar 66 which is slotted so as to receive screws carrying wing nuts 68. The screws pass through friction bars 70 and 72 to the underside of which are friction webbings similar to webs 28 referred to in the Fig.

1 wmbodiment.

At the extremities of the bars 66 are foot rests 74 and 76 which are pivotable about pivot points 78 and 80, which are vertical pivot pins so that the foot rests 74 and 76 can swing in horizontal planes.

The bars 70 and 72 can be locked in position at any radius from the central pivot axis 64 within the length of the slot in the bar 66 in order to vary the torque or turning resistance to oscillation of the assembly 60. With this apparatus the user stands on the foot rests 74 and 76 and physically oscillates the assembly 60 in the manner indicated by arrow 62 thereby to exercise his body and legs and because of the pivoting of the foot rests about pivot points 78 and 80, so the user can execute a skiing type action.

Claims (7)

1. An exercise device comprising a turntable, a base on which the turntable is rotatably mounted, and friction bearing means between the turntable and base.

2. A device according to Claim 1 wherein the turntable comprises a circular board and the base is a board of square or other suitable shape, and the friction bearing means comprises webbing of nylon or other plastics material.

3. A device according to Claim 2 wherein the webbing is securely connected to the undersurface of the turntable.

4. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the device is a flat structure taking up a minimum height and is devoid of any frame support means so that the user has to operate the device by twisting his body.

5. A device according to Claim 1, wherein the turntable comprises a bar pivotable relative to the base about its centre, and having foot rests pivotally mounted on the ends thereof.

6. A device according to Claim 5 wherein the friction bearing means are constituted by bearing strips adjustably connected to the bar so as to be movable closer to or further from the pivot in order to adjust the torque resistance of the bearing means, said strips having means to enable same to be locked in adjusted position.

7. An exercise device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.